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SCUTTLEBUTT 1354 - June 19, 2003Powered by SAIC (www.saic.com), an employee-owned company. Scuttlebutt is adigest of major yacht racing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Corrections, contributions, press releases, constructive criticism and contrasting viewpoints are always welcome, but save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. WOMEN'S MATCH RACING WORLDS Sundsvall, Sweden is playing host to the 2003 ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championships. Twelve teams, most ranked in the top ten internationally, from five nations are represented here. After completing half of the scheduled 22 flights, Alison and her team from the USA are tied with Malin Millborn of Sweden with 5-1 records. #1 ranked Marie Bjorling (SWE) and Marie Faure (FRA) both have 4 wins to their credit. Defending World Champion Liz Baylis (USA) had a tough day finishing with 2-4. The winds were southeasterly ranging from 6 to 14 knots and flat seas. The twelve teams are competing in provided J 80 class boats with symmetrical spinnakers. As the breeze increased, the organizers decided to have the competitors change from the overlapping genoas to the smaller jibs for better sail control. Racing was close on the inner harbor right off downtown Sundsvall with spinnaker douses happening right in front of the yacht club. The inner harbor is a great venue for watching the racing, and plenty of spectators stopped by to check it out. The round robin will continue tomorrow on what is forecast to be a cold, windy, rainy day - ah, its just Swedish summer! After the first round is complete, six teams will be eliminated and the remaining six will compete in the quarterfinals to determine the final 4. - Report by Betsy Alison Event website: http://matchrace.gegga.com/articles/ VOLVO OCEAN RACE Australia has beaten both the United States and Europe to the punch by becoming the first country to announce an entry in the revamped 2005-2006 Volvo Ocean Race. Grant Wharington's insatiable appetite for ocean racing has led him to head a syndicate named Premier Challenge whilst building the latest of his yachts, a 98-foot super-maxi named Wild Thing. Wharington, who raced round Cape Horn on the Norwegian yacht Djuice Dragons on the fourth leg of the last race, will skipper Wild Thing and is joined by Barney Walker, who was on the Australian yacht NewsCorp in 2001-2002. Businessman Matt Allen will be responsible for raising additional finance through sponsorship. - Stuart Alexander, The Independent, http://sport.independent.co.uk/ Event website: www.volvooceanrace.org CORRECTION Let me make a small correction on the K-Challenge release, which lost a little in the translation from French to English - John Cutler is joining as the syndicate's Technical Director. John has a unique background in engineering as well as being in the afterguard of multiple America's Cup campaigns and we are excited to have him in this critical position. - Dawn Riley VALET SERVICE It's not too late. We're geared up for quick turnaround in service, so if your displays are dim, bezels and fascia are cracked or UV damaged, connectors are green and corroded, or it simply makes sense to bench test the system components and install the latest firmware upgrades - we're ready. In many cases we can get things back to you by Friday if they're in our hands by Tuesday. Get the most out of your system this year. Contact Ockam's service expert Dave Wilcox (dave@ockam.com) to plan your tune-up. DAIMLERCHRYSLER NORTH ATLANTIC CHALLENGE June 18, 1300 (UTC): The DaimlerChrysler North Atlantic Challenge fleettracker software reported that Zaraffa had honored Point Alpha (40N 50W). The next mark for Skip Sheldon's Reichel/Pugh 65 is Skroo Lighthouse on Fair Isle. Famous for birds, knitwear and historic shipwrecks, Fair Isle is a tiny jewel of an island lying halfway between Orkney and Shetland. www.dcnac.de. * Sail magazine's deputy editor Josh Adams is crewing aboard Zaraffa and has filed this report for the magazine's website: Three days, sixteen hours to cover 1,100 miles from Newport to Point Alpha, and it was kind of strange sailing southeast for three days when the finish is northeast of us, in Germany. Getting to Alpha was a wicked ride at times. It blew 20-30 Monday, with occasional blasts to 40 knots at the masthead. Inside the warm water eddies north of the Gulfstream and inside the Stream itself, seas built to 15 feet, tops breaking. With two reefs in the main and a variety of headsails (we looked at numbers 4 and 5, jibtop, staysail), we were absolutely trucking on a beam reach. Our top speed was 25 knots, and at times we averaged 15 knots with added boost from the stream. Mikey Joubert noted, "And this is suppose to be the light-air part of the race." - Josh Adams, full report: http://www.sailmagazine.com/news/NEWS/ COASTAL CUP - Rich Roberts While Philippe Kahn's Pegasus 77 blew away the record for Encinal YC's Coastal Cup from San Francisco to Santa Catalina Island, overall honors on corrected handicap time were won by Bill Leroy's aptly named Gone With the Wind. With early breezes up to 30 knots and gusts to 40, the Santa Cruz 50 from St. Francis YC, with a rating of minus-9, finished 11 1/2 hours back in the 360-nautical mile race. But GWTW corrected out on Pegasus 77 by collecting 123 seconds a mile from Kahn's Reichel/Pugh 77 (minus-132), which ran the course in 26 hours 24 minutes 39 seconds. Next came three Transpac 52s: Hong Kong businessman Karl Kwok's new Beau Geste in 32:41:32, Bill Turpin's Alta Vita, 35:36:12, and Jim Demetriades' Yassou, 36 hours even. Another TP52, Flash, dropped out with a rudder bearing problem. Beau Geste and Alta Vita will start the Transpacific Yacht Race July 6. The starts were June 13 and 14. There were 44 entries but 12 didn't start and 10 more dropped out---two with broken masts and others with rudder or other problems. A couple ran out of sails. Pegasus 77 and Pyewacket each blew out spinnakers. There were no official reports of serious human casualties. - Yacht Racing website, full report: http://www.yachtracing.com/richroberts/061803.htm SORE BUTT= SLOW BUTT Fiberglass Butt. Flaming Toosh. It is the sailor's nemeses, and when you have it you are unsettled, not-in-the-groove and moving slow. Sailing Angles' double seated sailing shorts and long pants (with double knees) not only have optional pads to protect your butt from deck abuse but have double Cordura seats to protect against the most aggressive non-skid decks. Practical, no-nonsense designs to help you win by Sailing Angles. Mens, womens and junior sizes available. New color: Aloha Silver! Also Khaki, Navy, Red, Black and Khaki/Navy combo in 10" and 7" inseams. Buy them today at APS, Layline or http://www.sailingangles.com NATIONS CUP Trieste, Italy - The officials at the Nation's Cup ISAF Grade 2 match race regatta have canceled the planned second round robin. The plan now is to complete the first round robin on Thursday and proceed right into the semi-final matches. Both Alinghi and OneWorld have clinched a berth in the semis. Standings: Alinghi (Jochen Schuemann) 4 pts OneWorld (James Spithill) 3 pts Mascalzone Latino (Vasco Vascotto) 2 points Oracle BMW Racing (Tommaso Chieffi) 1 pt Victory Challenge (Magnus Holmberg) 1pt GBR Challenge (Andy Beadsworth) 1 pt NEWS BRIEFS * The Le Defi (America's Cup Syndicate) had a disappointing regatta in Auckland this year but are hoping to re-challenge in 2007. They now have three boats, FRA69. FRA79 and the older FRA46 at their home base. General manager Xavier de Lesquen has announced there will be changes to their afterguard, and hopes to replace Luc Pillot and Philippe Presti will someone like Paul Cayard. The American sailor lead the Italian team, II Moro di Venezia in the 1992 regatta and was initially a member of Oracle BMW. - nzoom.com website, full story: http://onesport.nzoom.com/sport_detail/0,1278,198794-2-124,00.html * Netherlands - The world's biggest catamaran race will take place on Saturday June 21st. Some 550 catamarans, representing thirteen countries, will race around the Frisian Island Texel. Fifty to sixty catamarans will be equipped with a GPS / GSM receiver, so live tracking & tracing makes it possible to follow the race all over the world. - www.roundtexel.com * The Museum of Yachting in Newport RI, will feature "Women in Sailing" from June 21-July 20, 2003. This exhibit is designed to call attention to the many (unsung) pioneering women in sailing. Concurrently, the Museum's Fine Art Gallery will exhibit a stunning collection of nautically inspired watercolors by female marine artist, Nicola Dixon. http://www.museumofyachting.org/ * The widow of Sir Peter Blake has reiterated her support for an exhibition on Auckland's waterfront to commemorate his life and achievements, museum officials said today. The project, which would include interactive displays, would feature the America's Cup-winning yacht Black Magic (NZL32) being displayed in a giant glass structure. Earlier this week, two television polls showed majority support for a different memorial to Sir Peter - buying a Hauraki Gulf island and turning it into a reserve. - NZ Herald, http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ FOR SALE Pegasus 77, the ultimate Turbo Sled, winner of Transpac 2001, is for sale. Launched in 2001, she is the very best in every aspect. Designed by Reichel-Pugh as the next generation Turbo Sled, Pegasus 77 will be available August 2003 right after Transpac. Details and photographs are at http://www.pegasus.com/pegasus77 QUOTE / UNQUOTE "As a professional racer, it's exciting to see ocean racing events like this flourishing. It's been a year since my last transatlantic crossing and I swore I'd never do it again, but it's hard to resist the challenge. I don't even put ice in my drinks!" Mark Rudiger talking about the DaimlerChrysler North Atlantic Challenge, www.dcnac.de. LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON (editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com) (Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name and may be edited for clarity or space - 250 words max. This is not a chat room or a bulletin board - you only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot and don't whine if others disagree.) * From Coach Jon Rogers: Interesting topic involving sailors learning to rely more on themselves and less on coaches and others. At Coronado Yacht Club we have been including "Self reliance day" as one of the daily themes in our After School and Summer Program for a couple of years. As I write this at 10:30 Tuesday morning all of our summer sailors beyond "Learn to sail" level were given the "self-reliance criteria" and expected to follow them with coaches only monitoring safety. The criteria is 1) Rig their boat, 2) leave the dock, no help, 3) sail to the Coronado Bridge (about 1 mile from club), 4) sail back to club and 5)put boat away. All the while they must sail with no assistance, look under their booms (!), and if something should go wrong, get in the safety position and try to fix it. The only rule we give them that doesn't fall under "self-reliance" is the golden rule. If you see or hear one of your teammates having trouble, or anyone for that matter go help them. Not to mention this is a great way to evaluate the kid's skills on the 2nd day of class. * From James C. Malm: Coaching in protected harbors and inlets is a very controlled atmosphere, but as we see on the world level - kids need to sail in big breeze and waves in the open ocean. These types of conditions are fun and can truly test the skills of a sailor. The coach's roll changes from coach to support boat. Ideally a sailor would have a inflatable for assistance. The coach would have time to run drills, take video, and watch were he is going. Like a ball boy/girl in tennis. Each time a sailor needs some assistance a support boat would enter into the practice area to assist a capsized or troubled boat. Since this is not the case, numerous students are left to support themselves. Yes this was how sailors did it before the coach mafia started up. It is important to place responsibility on the sailor. Coaches are provided (or should be) to improve skills, not to wipe runny noses. Sailors need to know when and were they should be sailing their boat. If parents rely on the coaches skills to haul their kids from the 48 degree water, then maybe ma and pa should try getting tiger up to speed in some warmer water. * From Geoff Stagg, President, Farr International, Inc. I fully endorse the comments in Scuttlebutt 1351 made by Nelson Stephenson and Bill Tripp re: Barry and Janice Carroll. They revolutionized the process of epoxy vacuum bagging in high quality semi-production boats. Through Carroll Marine, Farr International and Carroll Marine set loose the Mumm 36, Mumm 30. Corel 45, Concordia 47, ILC40, Farr 40, Farr 395, Farr 52, CM60 and the new Farr 36. The combination of September 11, Wall Street scandals, a war and the absence of a valid handicap rule all proved too much. The pain Barry and Janice are going through closing up shop is difficult for me to watch. However, as Bill Tripp stated, they are doing it with a huge amount of class and integrity. After an amazing 10 year association and close to $20 million in business with Carroll Marine, we part as full friends with not a dime in dispute, they will be difficult to replace. I along with the industry owe them a huge debt of thanks and wish them well in whatever they do after taking a well deserved rest and clearing their heads. Thank you Barry, Janice and your team for 10 fantastic years, you will be a hard act to follow. * From Len Hubbard: The closure of Carroll Marine is a loss not only to the sailing industry, but to all of us who have been customers and friends of the Carroll community for a long time. The company was a compilation of great personalities, from the owners to the floor staff to the ladies in the office. From the time we built our boat (a Nelson/Marek 43 "Sedona"), there were countless times when the Carrolls and their staff truly defined customer service for all of us. We all should remember, too, how much many of us learned about this sport through our Carroll Marine experiences and connections, an education which will stay with us. We all will miss Carroll Marine, but it leaves behind a wonderful legacy that is a challenge to meet for those who carry on as designers, builders, and sailors. * From: Spencer Ogden (In response to Robert Constable about the number of women ICSA All-American Collegiate sailors): It is a consequence of the types of boats sailed in collegiate racing that the vast majority of crews are women. Start with the fact that women skippers are in the minority, like many other areas of sailing. Then add that the two most popular boats in college are the FJ and the 420. If you are aiming to sail with around 275 pounds (many sail much lighter than that), then as an average skipper in the 160-170 range it is hard to find a male crew that fits! Even in heavy air it is rare to see teams weigh more than 300-310, so even heavy air crews are around 140-150. There have been a few male All-American Crews, and likewise there have been a few women named to the Coed All-American Team. * From Deneen B. Demourkas:I was a little surprised to see the letter from Craig Montrose printed pages of Scuttlebutt. While the author so graciously congratulates Richard Grunsten for his victory forty-eight boat Tarten Ten fleet at the Chicago NOOD he also slaps him in the face with the last paragraph because hired a professional sailor for the regatta. The pro vs non pro topic is entertaining however, this is very much a personal attack against Richard Grunsten and Chris Larson and in my humble opinion it should not have been printed. * From Gavin Flinn: (re note posted by the apparently unhappy Craig Montrose): Sailing teams can be built in various ways and most have goals. The Voodoo Sailing Team we defines our program in terms of consistent crew, well prepared platforms and a methodical approach to regattas. The team's primary goals have remained unchanged from the beginning (over a decade now) - take a serious but fun approach to one-design competition and always try to improve. The roughly 15 people who make up the current Voodoo Sailing Team have been together for over five years. Just ask our fellow competitors in the classes we are current in - the Farr 40, Soling or Tartan 10. The team has done over 25 major regattas around the country together (and elsewhere) over this time (an example: five of the six crew onboard for the Chicago NOOD sailed with us for the T-10 N.A.'s last year). To defend a program that reads a class rule, prepares a fast boat, cultivates and trains crew while seeking out competitive events in which to compete seems a little pointless to us, for why should any one-design racing exclude those who are interested in trying to sail to a higher level? The Voodoo Team prefers listening to the positive response to our sailing in the Tartan 10 class and seeing the effects our way of putting the boat together (we are happy to share our ideas!) has had on the boats willing to do some boatwork. * From Tom O'Keefe: Does anyone else find it odd that the custom Reichel Pugh 66' Zaffara would start a week ahead of HSH Nord Bank(MaxZ78),Team 888 (Open 60), UCA (Maxi85), Windrose (Classic 151') & Zephrys (Maxz86) in the Daimler/Chrysler North Atlantic Challenge? It just appears that there is a relatively tight fleet following a runaway leader. CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION "Toddlers" should be called "Careeners." They charge about on the edge of disaster like Mr. Toad on his Wild Ride. Toddlers are really "Blue Bloods" with good posture sipping tea at cocktail hour. |
